ʻOhana is Hawaiian for “family”

ʻOhana can actually mean much more than the dictionary definition of
family. ʻOhana can describe a community, a circle of friends, who share
common goals and values.
This commonality defines the Nā Pali Coast ʻOhana.

In 1995 a handful of Kauaʻi residents met and formed the
Nā Pali Coast ʻOhana. They were concerned about the impacts of years
of public use of the 6000+ acre park, particularly the destination valley of
Kalalau. This heavy use, combined with a lack of proper management,
was having a detrimental effect on the coast and its unique natural and
cultural resources, particularly along the Kalalau Trail. The
Nā Pali Coast ʻOhana became an integral part of the management team,
organizing large valley and beach clean-ups and working with State staff on
important tasks such as the reintroduction of native flora.

A couple of years later, the focus of the ʻOhana shifted to the small
coastal flat of Nuʻalolo Kai at the western end of Nāpali,
which houses an extensive complex of archaeological features.
The area was overgrown with years of vegetation and cultural sites were
being degraded by nature, goats and man.

In 1997, the Nā Pali Coast ʻOhana Foundation officially formed as a
501(c) (3) non-profit corporation. In early 2000, the successful
volunteer work of the ʻOhana was acknowledged by the Hawaii Department
of Land and Natural Resources. An exclusive curator agreement
was granted to the ʻOhana to mālama, care for, maintain and
preserve, the cultural sites within Nuʻalolo Kai.

In 2001, the ʻOhana received a Preservation Honor Award from the
Historic Hawaii Foundation for its work at Nuʻalolo Kai.

Nuʻalolo Kai is a part of the Nāpali Archaeological District which is
listed on both the National and Hawaiʻi Registers of Historic Places.
Nuʻalolo is significant as one of the first sites in Hawaiʻi where
extensive archaeological study was conducted between 1959 and 1964.
Archaeological surveys have identified and mapped a complex of housesites,
ceremonial platforms, agricultural features and walled enclosures on this
coastal flat. Some of the structures at Nuʻalolo Kai are among the most
impressive along the coast in terms of construction technique, size, and
structural complexity. This well-preserved complex provides unique
opportunity for research and interpretation of traditional Hawaiian life
along the Nāpali Coast.

Nuʻalolo was inhabited until the end of the 19th century and
subsequently became covered with a dense growth of mostly alien vegetation.
The Nā Pali Coast ʻOhana is working to correct the decades of
inattention. Nuʻalolo Kai may now be visited and enjoyed during
the summer months, subject to weather and access conditions.

Please review our Board of Directors to fully
understand their durable relationship to our environmental community.
There is a collaborative synergy between the elected citizen/activist members
and the County and State agency resources.

We are constantly seeking to expand our individual membership.
The enrollment of active Corporate Protectors has
grown every year, helping us attain our preservation, maintenance, and
education goals. No matter what your talents are, we invite you to support us in
our commitment to this sacred land. Donations, even
the smallest, are welcome and appreciated. Your contributions are tax
deductible and your entire donation amount will go directly to support our
Nāpali Coast work.

The Nā Pali Coast ʻOhana remains a 100% volunteer organization
without monetary compensation to any member or director.